Michelle Baker’s three-barrel system (recently expanded from one-barrel) is literally right in her backyard. On the other side of the size spectrum, there’s tiny Origin Brewer. Hopefully between the curbside takeaway and the limited opening we’ll be doing, we’ll be okay.”
3 CALIFORNIA BREWERIES FULL
There are going to be a lot who want to participate in some way and enjoy our products and services and want to support local businesses, but who still don’t feel comfortable going to places full of people yet. “100% of people are not going to run out of their houses and go to taprooms. Regardless of how the taproom experience evolves, the curbside pickup program will continue. We were sort of lamenting, ‘Boy, this is not going to be enjoyable.’” “Wear a mask all the time unless you’re at your table.” And regarding other taproom amenities, “No pool, no ping pong, no video games. The entire dining experience will take some getting used to. “So you’ll make a reservation (this is all sort of in planning right now), you order your meal and your beers, pay for them, text us, and we’ll come get you when your order’s ready.” The requirement of needing to serve a meal for a place that uses a food-truck model, presents additional complications. “We’re sitting in the webinars, reading all the documentation, new regulations that come out seemingly every day - everything from plexiglass to taking temperatures to wearing gloves and masks to putting in contactless transactions.”
However, the path to getting there seems daunting, with lots of logistical hoops to jump through. This might kind of jump start that.”Īs for the future, they look forward to reopening their taproom to guests. Our plan was to continue building our brand here in Northern California and then go south at the right time. They’re famously tight-lipped - ‘We’re going to do what we’re going to do.’ Suddenly we had friends texting from San Clemente, Santa Monica, and San Diego saying ‘Oh, here’s your Bo Pils, it’s in Trader Joe’s in my neighborhood!”Įast Brother is employing food trucks to help satiate hungry taproom visitors, and when it comes to eating at the brewery, the rule is “wear a mask all the time unless you’re at your table.” “Funny, we thought it would only be Northern California, but Trader Joe’s main distribution center is in Southern California. Rather than shrinking distribution (primarily Northern California) during the pandemic, their California footprint has actually grown with the addition of distribution in Raley’s Supermarkets, and, most importantly, Trader Joe’s. Everyone was like ‘No problem, happy to help, we’ll get through this together.’” Don’t worry about it.’ It’s almost like Christmas, where everyone’s nice to each other, generous, caring, sharing, giving. Some have been ‘Just pay whenever you can. “I will say 95 percent of everyone I’ve spoken to has been super cool. ‘Can we push it off by 3 months? Can I push it off by a month? Can I pay you over 6 months? Can we do half now, half later?’” “I cannot tell you how much time I’ve spent emailing, texting, calling vendors and creditors, just getting deals.
Lightner also attributes the flexibility of the various vendors he works with as a key to weathering the storm. It’s amazing how many people come and pick up beer.” “The profitability is not the same, but we’re selling through the taproom almost as much beer as we were doing when the taproom was open, volume-wise. They’re spending almost all their time on the curbside program. The taproom team is almost fully employed. All that was left was the can distribution before we started the carry-out program, which we did three or four days into the lockdown, so that part is good. “Business was definitely down, but not as much as I thought it would be.
It currently produces roughly 10,000 barrels per year on a 20-barrel brewing system.įor Rob Lightner, East Brother’s saving grace has been its can distribution, adding statewide shipping and, surprisingly, their beer to-go program. Unique in their approaches, they are a great case study of how the pandemic has affected them all in different ways, and how differently they have had to adapt.Įast Brother Beer Company began operations in their 12,000-square foot production facility in late 2016. Richmond is home to three breweries, ranging from nanobrewery to neighborhood taproom to regional distributor. The Bay Area city of Richmond, California, offers several examples of the varied challenges breweries of vastly different sizes have faced. The COVID-19-induced economic shutdown has affected breweries large and small.
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